Primus emerson



@with tairsjstsnt @Hita Letters .Patent No. 82,395, dated September 22', 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADDLE-WHEELS.

Atlgs Stmme/fetichiste @die etters stmt mrt making part ni tti tame.

TO ALL WH'OM IT MAY CON CERN:

'Be it known that I, PRIMUS EMERSON, of Carondelet, in the county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri,

have made certain new and useful Improvements-in Paddle-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full and clear description thcreof,'reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to construct the paddle-wheel in such a manner that the paddles will remain vertical at all times, thus securing the entire eiiciency of the propulsiva power of the wheel, without feathering thepaddles, as many inventions for this purpose do.

In this invention, each one of the paddles is pivoted, by mea-ns of a couple of journals on its ends, to the outer ends of the wheel-arms, or to an annular rim connecting the ends of the said arms. Each of these pivoting-journals has a crank, on the outer side of the wheel, which cranks are attached to an annular cam-rim,

`held constantly in an eccentric position bythe side ofthe wheel, by means of fixed sheaves, the whole-operating so as to hold the paddles in a constantly vertical position.

To enable those skilled iu the art to make and use my improved paddlal will proceedto describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of the improved wheel.

Figure 2 isl a transverse central sectional elevation of the same.

The wheel-arms A are attached to the bosses B, which are secured to the shaft C, in the usual manner. The arms are likewise connected together, and strengthened by nieans'of the annular rims D D. The paddles E are attached tp the o'uter ends of the wheel-arm's,'or to the outer rims D', (connecting them,) by means of short journals e, and on the outer ends of these journals, and outside of the rims D', are cranks e', the wrists of which areengaged by the cam-rims F. The paddles are allowed to rotate freely on their journals e. The

cam-rims'F are circular plates, placedparallel with the sides of the wheel, and eccentrically to its'shaft. The

rollers Gr, fixed in position' at the sides of the wheel, hold the cam F up in a certain fixed (relative) position, andV thereby compel the cranks e to remain continually in a vertical position, and, with them, the paddlesE also remain vertical.

I It will readily be seen that the paddles enter and leave the water in vertical positions, and move-forward in vertical positions while in, the water, thus securing all the benefits of feathering-paddles, and, at thesame time, securing a wheel of sucient strength to withstand the severe usage to which it is applied. I

The journals e, by means of which the paddles are attached to the rim of the wheel, are placed at the bottom edge of the paddle;V hence the paddles are not liablev to be broken or bent out of place, by coming in contact with logs or other hardsubstances.

If iron paddles be used, thejournals e'may be formed on the ends of a continuous shaft, placed across the wheel, from side to side, behind the paddle, and this shaft will strengthen the paddle i'n its central part; but, -if continuous shafts be used for this purpose, 'they should be reduced somewhat in their central parts, so as to .diminish the resistance in entering and leaving the water.

Having described my invention, what I. claim, is-A The paddles E, when hinged to lthe outer rim of the wheel by means of journals e, placed at their bottom edges, substantially as described and set forth.

PRIMUS EMERSON.

Witnesses M. RANDOLPH, ROBERT BURNS. 

